Whales in Magdelena Bay

Early Sunday morning, we were picked up at our hotel in Todas Santos and headed our way North to Puerto San Carlos. It may have been five and a half hours to get there, but seeing such an amazing thing is worth it. The gray whales swim a very long distance to calve in the warm waters of Magdelena Bay to the delight of the many tourists who flock there annually. We were just as excited.

We stayed in a pleasant, and oddly Irish themed hotel called the Brennan, who helped organize the tour. They even met us there and took us to the docks. Loaded into the small boat that perfectly fit the six of us, we realized that we couldn't have asked for a better day on the water. It was sunny, not too hot, and quite calm. With pelicans soaring overhead, we finally spotted a whale breaching in the distance. We crept closer to discover that it was a momma and her baby. There were many boats, so we didn't get a clear view right away. However, we were soon rewarded with a up close and quite personal view of both momma and baby. The first time the larger of the two started to surface was incredible and awe inspiring. You don't realize just how big they are until their 40 feet of length is literally next to your tiny boat. We were satisfied, but that was not the end of it. We had a good couple of hours of whales so close that we were bumped from underneath from momma and baby coming up for a pet on the nose from Dal. All I have to say is, amazing! At first we thought the boats might be harmful and chasing the whales down, but we soon discovered their the babies willing to be playful and curious nature. Overall, this is a highly recommended experience for all.

Hotels:
Motel Guluarte, Todos Santos: 400 pesos/night (DO NOT STAY HERE)
Hotel Brennan, San Carlos/Magdalena Bay: 750 pesos/night
Hotel Lorimar, La Paz: 650 pesos/night

Restaurants:
Manny & Mama’s, Todos Santos
Miguel’s, Todos Santos
Cafelix, Todos Santos
La Esquina, Todos Santos

Transportation:
Family, on foot

Activities:
Whale Watching in Magdalena Bay: 1070 pesos
Tortugueros Las Playitas, Todos Santos: free
Galaria Logan, Todos Santos: free
Malecon, La Paz: free
Balandra Beach, La Paz: free